Bacteria Leaves 2 Lakes Still Unfit For Swimming

September 7, 1985|By Lauren Ritchie of The Sentinel Staff

Swimming is allowed again in all but two lakes that Orange County health officials closed earlier this summer because of high bacteria counts.

Lake Virginia in Winter Park and Lake Baldwin at the Naval Training Center between Orlando and Winter Park remain closed, said Bill Toth of the Orange County Health Department. Water samples from those lakes have too many bacteria to count, he said.

A lake is posted as unfit for swimming if more than 1,000 coliform bacteria are found in 100 milliliters of water, which is about one-tenth of a quart. Officials test an average of three water samples from each lake.

Little Lake Bryan, Lake Fairview and Lake Sonesta -- with bacteria counts of 707, 203 and 1, respectively -- were opened in the last few weeks.

When Virginia and Baldwin lakes will reopen depends on the quality of the water that drained into them from storms over the Labor Day weekend, said Dr. Jerry Brand of the health department. Generally, runoff water increases the bacteria count in lakes.

Also closed is Starke Lake in Ocoee, where Billie Jo Nobles, 8, contracted a rare amoebic brain infection that killed her in late August. High bacteria levels provide the amoeba with food and it multiplies.

Ocoee officials, not the health department, closed Starke Lake for swimming. It is not one of about 20 lakes that the health department tests weekly and authorizes for swimming.

Ocoee Mayor Tom Ison said he believes it would be a mistake to allow swimming in Starke Lake until the water temperature drops, killing some of the bacteria, and the health department can assure people that the amoeba is not a danger.